Spain’s second quota holder Jose Quiles – I am over the moon since I qualified for Tokyo

Altogether 16 boxers have qualified already for the Tokyo Olympic Games at the men’s flyweight (52kg) and featherweight (57kg) through the European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event. Three nations achieved two quota places, Great Britain, France and amazingly the Spanish boxing team following the top performance of Gabriel Escobar and Jose Quiles.

Spain’s Jose Quiles attended in his first EUBC event at the 2015 European Youth Boxing Championships in Kolobrzeg, Poland but two years were enough for him to get a bronze medal at the Kharkiv 2017 EUBC European Men’s Elite Boxing Championships at the age of 20. He had several difficulties and injuries in the recent two and half years but he returned to the Qualifiers in top shape and defeated two rivals to achieve the quota for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

“I am over the moon since the third competition day of the European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event when I earned the quota place for the Tokyo Olympic Games. I started to box and compete to represent Spain in one of the Olympic Games and luckily this is not only a dream anymore.

It is an incredible feeling to be sure I will be there in the Olympic Games which is postponed for later date. The success is the result of my hard work in the recent seven years when I put boxing to the spotlight and I prepared every day hard in the trainings to accomplish my dream in London.

I was trying to follow all of the instructions in the European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event which I received from Rafael Lozano and Carlos Penate during my fights in London. I was quite nervous with a lot of pressure but I had also enough self-confidence to beat my rivals.

Regarding my opponents both of them were strong and fast and I had to be careful with them in the Qualifiers. I hope I will be able to enjoy the Olympic Games, do my best and finally I can earn a medal in Tokyo,” said Spain’s featherweight (57kg) boxer Jose Quiles after the European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event.